


If the tides moved differently

by fivedragonsstudios



Category: Klaus (2019)
Genre: AU, Ferryman!Jesper, Klaus and Lydia raised Jesper, Lydia Lives, M/M, Postman!Mogens, Teacher!Lydia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:13:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25828000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fivedragonsstudios/pseuds/fivedragonsstudios
Summary: Mogens is a postman, and is sent to Smeerensburg due to 'having more experience'. He already knows about the fights, but doesn't expect the cold or the odd blonde ferryman...
Relationships: Alva/Jesper Johanssen (past), Jesper Johanssen/Mogens, Klaus/Lydia (Klaus 2019)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a AU I had started to post as a comic on Tumblr, with a few written inserts. After much debate with myself and the loss of easy access to my laptop I decided to start writing it instead.
> 
> PS My phone won't let me do the tags properly. So for now I'm leaving that blank.

Mogens stared at the General Postmaster "Smeerensburg?" Why? Was he being punished? His boss moved back to his desk "You're one of our most experienced postman. I think you'll be better suited with handling things there than some others."

That didn't make Mogens feel any better. He looked at the map; specifically at the little figure on Smeerensburg then straightened up. This was his job, and he would happily do what he could.

"I'll leave right away sir" the General Postmaster gave a curt nod, and Mogens left to prepare for his trip.

***  
It was a lot colder than he thought it would be, but he had a warmer uniform in his luggage. He could see a boat nearby, and in the building to his right, he could see a man waiting there. Mogens guessed the other man drove the ferry.

Halting his cart and getting out, he went towards the building. The ferryman opened one eye as Mogens got closer and a smile soon spread across his face. The ferrymans hair was a dark blonde and it covered a part of his forehead with a ponytail in the back. The man also had a goatee. 

When Mogens got closer he saw the man was wearing a warm looking turtleneck and a coat. The one eye focused on him was a dark blue that looked him over quickly before the man spoke. "You're the new postman?"

The man grinned "You're cute, wanna go out?" Mogens felt his cheeks warm and he widened his eyes "W-what?" The ferryman laughed a little "That's a good expression." The man locked his open eye with Mogens' flustered expression.

"I'm just kidding of course. I don't have time to date." Mogens frowned, actually feeling a bit dispirited. The ferryman _was_ kind of cute after all. The ferryman blinked, finally opening his other eye.

"Oh? Did you believe me? Sorry." Mogens responded by ducking his head down a little, feeling completely embarrassed. _Why me?_ The ferryman stood, stretching out and standing a full head taller than Mogens.

Then the man left the building, and headed towards the docks with a cheerful whistle. Mogens made note of the knee high boots and the warm looking pants. Mogens hurried to his cart and got it to the boat, where the ferryman helped to make sure it wouldn't shift about too much.

Mogens sat while the ferryman got the boat ready for departure. The other man was thin, but pulled up the anchor easily. Mogens marveled at the hidden strength. The other man must of sensed his stare, because he looked over and gave a wink. 

Mogens flushed and looked away and the ferryman laughed. Once the boat was ready, the set off across the ocean, the ferryman whistling the whole time. Mogens did his best to keep his gaze from going to the other man, but he found himself glancing over every now and then.

If the ferryman noticed, he didn't comment on it. Once the island came into sight, Mogens found himself staring at the ruined town with a slack jaw. "There she is! Smeerensburg!!" The ferryman gave a exaggerated wave of his arm as if this was the best island to see.

When they docked Mogens got the horse and cart off while the ferryman made sure his boat would not drift to sea. Then the other man was at his side with a smile. 

"Here we are! Shame it isn't spring… Those greys really pop then. Oh well, it's still nice right?" The odd man looked at him and Mogens gave him a angry look in return. "Are you serious?! The whole place looks like a dump!"

The ferryman furrowed his brows and his smile turned into something with a dangerous edge. "A dump huh?" The man even changed the tone of his voice slightly, causing Mogens to shiver. Then the man suddenly smiled warmly and laughed "Yeah that sums it up!"

Mogens just stared at the man feeling a bit of dread in his gut. _What is with this guy?_ The ferryman clapped a hand on his back and Mogens stumbled forward a bit. "Come on I'll ride up to the post office with you!" 

Mogens nodded and they both got on the cart. The ferryman crossed his legs and rest his arms on the back of the seat as Mogens took hold of the reins and got the cart moving forward.

As soon as they started moving the ferryman started to whistle again. Mogens didn't mind, it helped with the disquiet he felt at looking at all the buildings. "What happened here?"

The whistle halted and the ferryman looked at him with a smile in place "Hm?" The man looked around then tilted his head "Oh! Well, you know, colorful folklore, local traditions, the norm." 

**This** was considered normal? Mogens pressed his lips together and decided to just shut up. They went through the center of town and he looked at the bell standing in the center with only a passing curiosity as to why it was there.

Then they went up a hill and they finally reached the post office. It looked as ruined as the rest of the buildings. "Well, there it is. Home sweet home." The ferryman got off the cart and walked up to the door, forcing it open. Mogens cringed, but got off the cart and followed with his bags.

The inside wasn't much better than the outside. Some chickens were making the letter slots their home. "Plenty of fresh air, lots of nice views...not too shabby!" Mogens sent a glare at the ferryman who just chuckled.

"The stable is off to the side, I'd settle your horse there before nightfall if I were you." The ferryman started to leave "Oh, and I'm Jesper! If you need anything just ask anyone to fetch me." The man winked and closed the door, and a drift of snow fell.

Mogens sighed and moved to get himself settled.


	2. Chapter 2

When Mogens left the ferryman was actually waiting for him. "Morning! You know I was thinking, and I realized no one would be so inclined to help you by getting me." Mogens frowned and adjusted his mailbag. 

Did that mean the ferryman was going to follow him around all day? Mogens headed to town on foot, and Jesper did indeed start following him. "You're from the city right? Man that must be nice! I've always wanted to go you know? I hear the docks there are always busy and has all kinds of boats there."

Mogens nodded almost absent mindedly to the other man's chatter. He had seen the city docks before, and there were a lot of boats that came and went. "I also hear there are some nice stores in the city. Here? There's only the same twenty odd stores, ten for each side, and they actually sell the same stuff?" 

Mogens had glanced to the ferryman "How can they sell the same stuff?" Jesper chuckled "Well I meant there's a baker on both sides, and the barber, then the butcher, and the tailor." Mogens counted to himself and found that was five stores. "There should be five more."

Jesper blinked, furrowed his brows and repeated the ones he had already said and then smiled. "Oh right! There's the food stalls too! Also a bar on each side." Mogens nodded again and sighed as Jesper kept going. The other man apparently could talk about just about anything.

Mogens filtered it all, nodding when it was needed, and commenting if he felt the need to. After going through about twenty mailboxes Mogens faced Jesper. "Why is there no mail?" Jesper stopped his current topic (about the different kinds of harpoons) and met his gaze.

"Hm? Oh! Well, everyone is too busy fighting." Jesper motioned and Mogens followed it to see an old lady throw chum on her neighbors clean laundry. Then Jesper motioned a different direction. Mogens slowly looked and saw a woman with dark hair drop a pot on a man with red hair.

"The Krums and the Ellingboes. They have a long standing feud. Constantly fighting or bickering, they don't really see the need for letters." Mogens faced Jesper again and tried to read whether he was lying or not. The ferryman was pretty hard to read though. "Well...I still have a job to do." 

So he kept looking, and Jesper kept following him and chatting away about anything and nothing. "Why'd you even take this post? You're not like the other postmen that came...they were all pretty green." Mogens sighed "I was told it was due to having more experience." 

Jesper pressed his lips together "Hmmmm sooo, they wanted to get rid of you." Mogens stopped and turned to face the thin man "What?!" Jesper blinked then shrugged "They should know how bad this island is, but they still sent someone with more time under their belt than the normal naive chump." 

Mogens looked away "Yes because I know what I'm doing!" Jesper hmmed "So it wasn't to keep you from a promotion or leading a better post office?" Mogens frowned and started walking. "I...I'm sure it wasn't." Jesper followed "How sure?" 

Mogens grit his teeth and thought it over. It did seem a bit odd that after all his years of continued service that he would be sent to Smeerensburg. He also recalled how he first thought it was a punishment.

"I do my job...I'm good at it." Jesper now walked by his side. "I didn't say you weren't good." Mogens realized that, but still resolutely held to the belief that he was sent here for any other reason then to get rid of him.

Jesper let it drop, completely changing the subject for some reason. Mogens finished his rounds then headed for the post office. Jesper followed him until they reached Mogens' new home, walking past it as Mogens reached the door.

"Where are you going?" Jesper turned, walking backwards as he answered. "I live up this path. In a nice warm cabin surrounded by trees." Mogens blinked, really? The man was just...the ferryman though right? 

Jesper grinned as if knowing his thoughts. "I maay still live with my parents." Okay that made more sense, and Jesper chuckled. "You're easy to read you know. Very expressive." Mogens felt his face warm and Jesper spun and gave a wave. "See you tomorrow!!" 

Mogens really hoped not. Knowing his luck though, Jesper would indeed be there tomorrow. 

***  
Sure enough Jesper was there again, looking as cheerful as ever. "Morning! You look tired, didn't you sleep?" Mogens groaned "Too cold…" Jesper tilted his head and looked over the building as if seeing it for the first time. 

"I see, well...another day, another dollar right?" Mogens grumbled and walked towards town, and again Jesper followed while chatting away. There were still no letters, the fighting seemed a bit more noticeable, and the ferryman just did not shut up.

Sometimes a villager would come outside as if to chase Mogens away, and Jesper would pause whatever strain of nonsense he was on. The villager would freeze, look a little rattled, and then turn around and go back inside. If Mogens turned to look at Jesper, the man was always smiling, and would continue talking.

This continued for a few days with an occasional poke at him amidst the chatter. Mogens was really starting to lose his patience. He was getting frustrated that there were no letters, and he really wanted a hard drink.

Rubbing at his temple he finally snapped "Oh for fucks sake shut the hell up!!" Jesper jumped a little and Mogens could swear he saw a look of hurt on the man's face. Then the smile was in place as if it had never left. "You got it champ" Jesper then gave him a false salute and went off somewhere else.

Mogens stood alone for a few minutes until it fully registered that the ferryman was gone. Rubbing the back of his neck he continued his job, now to silence (unless some fighting broke out nearby). It was...kind of lonely actually, and he didn't see Jesper for another two full days after that.

Even then it was after he had done the regular rounds. Jesper leaned into the window with his normal smile in place. "Hello there postman~" Mogens gave him a look before sitting back in his chair.

The ferryman must be up to something, why else was he left alone for his rounds? Mogens eyed Jesper warily, but the man looked the same as always. "What?" Jesper leaned against the window frame, one arm dangling inside.

"Oh nothing, just thought I'd see if you're still alive. What with the cold and all." Mogens furrowed his brows "Well I am…" Jesper nodded "So you are. Well, that's my job done." With a wink the ferryman left, and Mogens was alone again feeling very confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Want to know more about this AU? Feel free to ask at fivedragonsstudiosart.tumblr.com
> 
> Want to just ask me general questions about my writing or other things? Feel free to visit fivedragonsstudios-ask.tumblr.com


	3. Chapter 3

Two weeks went by before Mogens packed his stuff and drove the cart to the docks. There was no point to staying here, there were no letters, so he was being paid to do nothing. As he got closer to the docks, he spotted Jesper and frowned.

The ferryman wasn't smiling. Which was odd, because Jeaper was _always_ smiling (at least as far as Mogens had seen). Jesper paused in his task and looked over at Mogens. How the man always knew when Mogens was staring at him was still a mystery.

Jesper furrowed his brows and _frowned_. A real legitimate frown! "Where are you going?" The odd man asked and Mogens shifted in his seat "To the mainland. I can't handle just sitting around in the cold anymore." 

Jesper stared at him for a long moment, then looked away "No can do champ." Mogens straightened with an angry frown "Why the hell not??" Jesper motioned to the sky, where some clouds had gathered. "Storm is coming, it won't be safe to sail."

Mogens blinked and felt a spark of irritation "You're lying!" He had no basis for the accusation, since as far as he knew Jesper had never lied to him. Jesper faced him and didn't look pleased. In fact the ferryman looked pissed.

Mogens flinched even as Jesper put his hands on his hips. "I would never lie about that. Sailing in a storm is no laughing matter and I won't endanger anyone in that way." Mogens wilted, feeling more than a little bad for the accusation. 

"Sorry" he offered and Jesper's expression shifted before he looked away again. "Yeah, well go on back to your post office. I'm busy" Jesper made a shoo motion with his hand and Mogens could only stare at him. "Are...you okay?" 

Jesper sighed and nodded "Sure am, I just want to make sure my boat will survive is all." Oh, well...it was the other man's livelihood. "All right…" Mogens turned the cart around and spared a glance back, and Jesper really was securing the boat's lines more to make sure the coming storm didnt wash it away. 

Mogens looked to the sky uneasily but the clouds didn't look bad yet. Shrugging to himself he got the horse settled down and then put his stuff away. Well, if he was staying (at least until the storm was gone) then he may as well check the empty mailboxes. Huffing lightly he grabbed his bag and headed out to town. 

Of course there were no letters, as always, and actually… He didn’t see any of the town members either. Mogens walked through the town with an uneasy feeling. He actually preferred the fighting to this silence. As he got close to the dock area again, he noticed that Jesper was no longer near the boat. 

Mogens paused and then looked around. What was going on? That storm was far away right? No sooner than the thought had left his head, he felt a splash of water. Looking up he gasped at the clouds, which had gathered together faster than he had thought possible. Then the rain really started to fall, with some hail mixed in. 

Mogens just started to run, heading towards the closest intact looking building. Once he was under the cover of a small roof over the door he panted for breath and watched as the hail and rain continued to fall. 

He had not escaped from getting wet, and it was still as cold as ever out. He tried the door only to find it locked and cursed. What rotten luck.  
…  
Well, okay he should have expected this to happen seeing as he was told about the storm. 

Mogens sighed and ran a hand down his face. Then he heard a click and the door opened from behind him, sending him backwards. He landed on his butt and then saw a man standing next to him.

Wait...he knew this man "Jesper?" The ferryman's hair was loose, and the coat and turtleneck were gone, replaced by a sleeveless shirt. The man's boots were also gone, but the pants were still there. Jesper crossed his arms and that's when Mogens saw the scars. 

"You going to sit in the doorway all day postman?" Mogens looked up and then got to his feet. Jesper closed the door and locked it, then walked deeper into the house, throwing wood on the fire. 

"I suggest that you take those wet clothes off." Mogens looked around finding the room small but homey, he spotted a bed in the far corner and frowned. "I thought you lived up the mountain?" 

Jesper glanced at him "I do on occasion. This place is for when a storm hits or I just don't feel up to going up there." Mogens blinked and then started taking his wet uniform off. Jesper hung them near the fire and Mogens stood awkwardly until Jesper sat on a stool in front of an easel and canvas.

Mogens saw more canvases and from what he could see, the ferryman was pretty good. "You should sell these" Jesper looked at him from around his current work "Who's going to buy them, hm?" 

Mogens moved to be closer to the man "You go to the mainland often enough, there's bound to be people over there that would appreciate it." Jesper gave him an odd look then set his paintbrush down. "You sound like…" 

The ferryman stopped and looked towards the ground "Nevermind." Mogens pushed his sleeves up as he looked at the current painting. "What's this one going to be?" It didn't look like much yet, and when he got no answer he crossed his arms. "A butterfly maybe, or a flower?" 

"Stop" it was said softly enough that he almost missed it. "It doesn't look like anything here, it's too bright." Mogens had experienced over two weeks of teasing, he figured it was fair game to dish some back. "Oh I know! It's the capital right? Because you want to go there." 

He turned with a smile, but that dropped when he saw the state of the ferryman. Jesper was shaking and looked like he had just seen a ghost or something. "Hey, what's wrong?" Mogens touched Jespers arms gently "I was just teasing" Jesper looked up and then tears started leaking from the other man's eyes.

"You sound just like her...just like her." Jesper started hyperventilating and shaking more "Just like Alva…" Mogens didn't know who Alva was, but he could tell Jesper was upset. "Hey...calm down Jesper, I'm sorry okay?" 

Jesper just whimpered and more tears fell while the man was gasping for air. Mogens furrowed his brows and then pulled Jesper into a hug. He wasn't sure what else to do except try and comfort the other man. Jesper went stiff in his hold and Mogens rubbed Jesper's back.

"It's okay...it's okay Jesper" slowly the ferryman moved and held him back and started to sob. Mogens kept rubbing the thinner back, doing what he could to calm Jesper down.


End file.
